The use of logic, economic theory, or detached language to recast systemic exploitation as a neutral, inevitable, or even beneficial process. It transforms acts of harm into abstract data points, "trade-offs," or necessary evils, while pathologizing the victims for their suffering. The violence of the system is laundered through vocabulary.
Example: A corporate memo announcing mass layoffs to "right-size the company" and "maximize shareholder value," while offering outplacement services. The human devastation of lost livelihoods, health insurance, and purpose is rationalized as a prudent financial strategy. The abuse rationalization frames the decision as a hard but logical business necessity, not a human catastrophe.
by Abzugal February 8, 2026
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